Woman to face trial over ‘wheelie bin’ murder case

Pacemaker Press 8/7/2014'Picture of Shauneen Boyle , Stephen Thomas John Hughes (27) and Shauneen Boyle (23) were jointly charged with the murder of Owen Creaney on a date unknown between 4 - 5 July with each confirming that they understood the charge. Pic Pacemaker'(Picture taken from Social media)

Published:07:29Wednesday 30 September 2015

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A Banbridge woman has been ordered to stand trial for the murder of a ‘vulnerable adult’ who was beaten and left to die in a wheelie bin.

At Craigavon Magistrates Court, sitting in Omagh, a prosecution lawyer submitted that there was a Prima Facie case against 24-year-old Shauneen Boyle and co-accused Stephen Hughes (28) that they were responsible for the death of Owen Creaney.

Boyle, from Edenderry Park in Banbridge and Hughes, from Moyraverty Court in Craigavon, are jointly charged with the murder of 40-year-old Mr Creaney on a date unknown between 4 - 5 July last year.

Previous courts have heard how the pair blame each other for the killing in a so-called ‘cut throat defence.’

Although no facts surrounding the case were opened earlier courts have heard how the badly beaten body of 40-year-old Mr Creaney was found hidden in a wheelie bin at the back of Hughes’ house at Moyraverty Court in the town after a report of suspicious activity, although police believe that he may have been in the bin for a number of days.

Speaking at the time of the gruesome discovery, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Campbell said Mr Creaney, who celebrated his 40th birthday the week before his death, was a “frail and vulnerable” member of our society who was disabled and used a walking aid and had been the victim of a serious and sustained assault” which he had initially survived but later died while in the bin.

DS Burns said police believed that Mr Creaney was assaulted either late on Wednesday evening or in the early hours of Thursday but was not given any medical assistance and died on Friday evening or Saturday morning.

He revealed that Boyle and Hughes were arrested before officers uncovered the victim’s body in a green bin at the house and that during interviews, each blamed the other for the death.

The officer further revealed that Boyle told police where the body had been hidden.

On Friday at Omagh courthouse, the case against Boyle had been scheduled for a Preliminary Investigation with the defence set to call three forensic witnesses to contest whether there was in fact a case for Boyle to answer.

Her defence lawyer told District Judge Bernie Kelly however they no longer intended to have a PI.

Remanding the pair back into custody, Judge Kelly ordered them to appear before the higher court on November 6 for arraignment.